Swimming

It is the primary aim at Chandlings to ensure that all children enjoy swimming. The journey begins in Early Years by building their confidence in the water and progresses through the years, so that by the time they leave the School they are proficient, competitive swimmers across the four recognised strokes.

The content of the swimming programme is guided by the A.S.A. Learn to Swim Pathway (www.swimming.org/asa) although we do not stick rigidly to their progressions. Many of our children are fast tracked and some require individual attention, so every lesson is tailored to the needs of each child.

As a guide for parents, our Early Years children cover the content of the Foundation Stages and by the end of Year 2 most of our children will move into the Prep having successfully completed Stage 4. As the children leave the Prep in Year 6, lessons are planned to include the content and standards required to pass Stage 7. Our competitive inter-school squad swimmers will be working towards Competitive Stage 8. Parents are encouraged, at any time, to contact the Head of Swimming, or their child’s swim teacher, for a comprehensive assessment of their child’s progress.

In addition to the Swim Pathway stages, we have created the Chandlings Challenge Board. These are 72 different and graduated water skills challenges which vary widely in their difficulty.

The more able swimmers, who represent the School in galas, are invited to early morning squad training. As with all sport at Chandlings we strive for ‘excellence with inclusion’ and are able to provide the less able swimmers with competitive experiences through House swimming galas, featuring float relays and social swimming activities, including snorkelling.